Refrigerating apparatus.



I J wi bnmeoi imam B. N. FRIED-MANN. REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1912.

Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD N. FBIEDIIANN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

REFBIGERATING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD N. FRIED- MANN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRefrigerating Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for removing the foreign,non-condensable gases thatcollect in the tops of ammonia condensers,with recovery of the entrained ammonia.

It is a well known fact that air, nitrogenous, hydro-carbon and othernon-condensable gases which collect in the top part of an ammoniacondenser considerably reduce the capacity of the latter as well asseriously impairing the efficiency and economy of the entirerefrigerating system. Heretofore the practice has been for the attend.-ant to occasionally blow-off the collected gases, but it resulted alsothat a great deal of ammonia gas escapedsimultaneously and wasconsequently wasted.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a means forrecovering the ammonia gas intermingled with the foreign gases that aredrawn off from the top of the condenser.

A particular object is to liquefy and revturn the recovered ammonia tothe working system.

A further object is to purge the apparatus of liberated foreign gasesand to indicate to the attendant when these gases have been removed.

A still further object is to simultaneously remove the non-condensablegases from a battery of condensers, connected up with a single apparatusfor recovering the entrained ammonia.

In the accompanying drawing which exemplifies the invention in one ofits forms, parts are shown diagrammatically andparts are shown insection.

Inthe said drawing, the numeral 1 represents the inlet of gas from thecondensing side of either a com ress'ion or' absorption system, 2 is thecon enser, here shown as an atmospheric horizontal coil-condenser,though the invention would work equally well with a submerged or anyother kind of condenser, 3 are the drains which relieve the condenser ofliquefied ammonia at different levels, 4 is a liquid ammonia receiver towhich the drains lead, 5 is the pipe which Patented Jan. 13, 19 14.

Application filed February 7, 1912. Serial in. 675,959.

supplies water on top of the condenser, and 6 is a valve by means ofwhich the top of each condenser can be shut off individually. Thehereinbefore enumerated elements are type of condenser used in ice andrefrigerating systems.

7 is a header which connects up the tops of a number of condensersplaced side by side, 10 is a line of pipe which connects the header 7 toa tankl5; and 11 is a valve for shutting oif this gas line when makingrepairs or for inspect-ion, 12 is an operating valve ordinarily used'for admitting the gases to or shutting them off from the tank or otherreceiver 15. The said receiver 15, while preferably in the form of atank may be of any other suitable form or construction. It is locatedabove the condenser so that the recovered ammonia will drain back underits own head into the working system. The gas receiver of whatever formis provided with cooling means having a'temperature very considerablylower than the temperature of the incoming gases. The nature of thiscooling means may be varied considerably. It is shownas a coil 16, inthe interior of the tank, and by preference it is a direct ammoniaexpansion coil. The gas shell held bynieans of an annular flange 17 toa,botton1 18, where the ends of the coil 16 pass through said bottom,glands with interposed packing form tight joints. When the cooling meansis a direct ammoniamonla expansion valve 20, which is 0011- nected up atone side with the coil 16 and at the other end with a liquid line 21standing in communication with the liquid receiver 4. The other end ofthe coil 16 is desirably provided with a valve 22, by means of of thesystem can be shut off.

15 serves to indicate the amount of liquefied at one end through theside of the tank and at the other end with a connection 26 entering thebottom of the tank, which slopes toward this outlet. This constructionenables the operator to tell at a glance the smallest amount ofliquefied ammonia contained in the tank, and furthermore it permits theentire contents of the tank and the gage glass 25 to be drained.

28 and 29 are angular valves at the top receiver of the tank form showncomprises a which the return line 23 to the suction side A gage glass 25at the bottom of the tank ammonia therein. Said gage communicates thestandard or conventional parts of one expansion coil, there is employedan amis opened.

and bottom of the gage glass controlling the communication thereto. Theconnection 26 may be closed or opened to any degree by means of a valve27.

30 is a pipe connection which constitutes a continuation of 26 andpermits the liquefied ammonia in the tank 15 to drain back 4 into theliquid line 21 or any other place in the system where liquid ammonia isstored or contained. An outlet connection 35 is attached to the top ofthe tank 15, for permitting the escape of the non-condensable gasesthrough a pipe 37 when a valve 36 The end of the pipe 37 issues into awater receptacle 38. A, branch connection 39 leading ofi from 35 carriesa pressure gage 41 which indicates to the operator the pressure in thegas receiver. A valve 40 may be used to cut out the pressure gage 41.

In operation, the gas line 10 is open con nccting the top of thecondenser (one or more) with the gas receiver 15. Meanwhile theexpansion of ammonia is going on within the coil'16. Due to the coolingeffect at the pressure obtaining, the ammonia entrained with thenon-condensable gases will fall or settle on the bottom, the amountbeing indicated by the gage glass 25. The operator by opening thevalve27permits the liquefied ammonia from time to time to drain back into theliquid line 21, by virtue of the head of the liquid in the tank.Periodically the valve 12 will be closed, the valve 27 also beingclosed, and the valve 36 opened. The non-condensable gases trapped underpressure in the gas receiver Will immediately seek their way out throughthe pipe 37. The escape of these gases is manifested simply by bubblesrising through the water in the receptacle 38, whereas ammonia gas infinding its way out will produce a crackling sound similar to that ofsteam issuing directly into water. The operatorthen closes the valve 36.Of course, if no ammonia comes, the fluctuations of the pressure gage 41indicate that the tank has been emptied of gases; and the operatingcycle can be resumed by opening of the valve 12.

Havingdescribed my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patentand claim is z- 1. The combination with an ammonia condenser, of a gasreceiver,-a gas line connecting the top of said condenser with saidreceiver, means within the receiver for cooling the gases admittedtherein so as to condense the entrained ammonia, and means for drawingof? the liquefied ammonia from the receiver.

2. The combination with an ammonia.condenser, of a gas receiver tankhaving a cooling coil, a gas line connecting the top of said condenserwith said tank, and means for drawing 01? the liquefied ammonia fromsaid tank. 7 V

3. The combination with a refrigerating apparatus includin an ammoniacondenser, of a gas receiver having an ammonia expansion coil forcooling, means for supplying said coil with refrigerant from sai system,means for drawingoff the foreign noncondensable gases from the top ofsaid condenser into said receiver, and means for drawing ofi theliquefied ammonia from said receiver and returning it to said system.

4. The combination with an ammonia condenser, of a gas receiver, avalved passage between the top of said condenser and said receiver,means internal of the receiver for cooling the gases admitted thereintoso as to liquefy the entrained ammonia, a valved outlet for drawing offthe liquefied ammonia from said receiver, and a valved escape fromthereceiver for non-condensable gases.

5. The combination with an ammonia condenser, of a gas receiver, avalved passage between the top of said condenser and said receiver,means located inside the receiver for cooling the gases admittedthereinto so as to liquefy the entrained ammonia, a valved outlet fordrawing off the liquefied -an'nnonia from the bottom of the receiver, a

liquid gage at the bottom of said receiver, a pressure gage connectedwith the receiver, and a valved escape from the upper part of saidreceiver for non-condensable gases.

6. The combination with a refrigerating apparatus includin an ammoniacondenser and a liquid line, of an elevated gas receiver having anammonia expansion coil for cooling,connected with said liquid line, avalved passage between the top of said condenser and said receiver, avalved escape from the receiver for the non-condensable gases, and avalved return passage for liquefied ammonia between the bottom of saidreceiver and said liquid line.

7 The combination with an ammonia condenser, of a gas receiver, a valvedpassage between the top of said condenser and the top of said receiver,means disposed internally of said receiver for cooling the gasesadmitted into the latter so as to liquefy entrained ammonia, a valvedoutlet for drawing off the liquefied ammonia from the receiver, a valvedescape passage from the receiver for the non-condensable. gases, and aliquid container into which said escape passage discharges.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan in the county of New York and Stateof New York this 3rd day of February'A. D. 1912.

EDWARD N. 'FRIEDMANN. Witnesses:

H. C. KARLsoN, W. H. GEE.

